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Los Angeles Herald
Los Angeles, California
February 23, 1910
Iowans Gather in Big Reunion -
35 Thousand in Eastlake
Love Feast
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| Left to right:
J.J. Stedman, chairman program committee; C.H.
Parsons, secretary; Stephen Townsend, president;
F.H. Nichols, treasurer
and Dr. R.S. Walker, the principal speaker
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An ear of golden colored corn emblazoned on a field of
white, around which peeked rays of a Southern
California sun and a hog couchant, the state badge of
the Iowa Society of Southern California, presented a
sight that warmed the hearts of 35,000 Iowans, former
and present residents, yesterday when they met in
annual reunion at Eastlake park to commemorate the
natal anniversary of Washington.
In many ways the picnic bore resemblance to a state fair at
Des Moines. In others it gave the appearance of the political
love feasts which have obtained prominence at Illinois state
fairs given at Springfield. Politicians from the "peanut" type
up to the large, brainy, wholesouled man who is in politics
for his country's good where everywhere in view. Elbowing them
were circulaters of nominating petitions. Both were met with
hearty "Howdoyoudos," and equally cordial handclasps. Iowa,
justly proud of its corn and hog products, is not the less
proud of its politicians, clean of scandal, and its pretty
women.
Rivaling the attention given the "homespun"
speeches, uttered by men who eulogized Iowa, were the ninety
and nine county reunions. Space for the individual county
reunions was marked off in the large open playground south of
the conservatories. Here the Iowans found friends, relatives
and acquaintances, exchanged greetings and messages from the
home state and indulged in reminiscences. Back of the
speakers' stand, built in a grove of eucalyptus growth, came a
rumble of snare drums, the shrill notes of the fife, the
groaning of the overburdened swings and the roaring music of
the merry-go-round.
The bitter cold and storms which
have passed across Iowa since November formed the general
topic. Coming at the heels of this was the often uttered "I am
mighty glad I'm here and not back east this winter."
Los Angeles, the home of perpetual summer, and one of the few
places where picnics and reunions may be held the year
through, is scheduled to receive advertising of unlimited
wealth from the Iowa picnic of yesterday. Among those who will
scatter the praise of Southern California as a mid-winter
picnic ground will be hundreds of tourist Iowans who were
there. They will write or convey in person that they met there
such former Iowans as Judge Curtis D. Wilbur, Major John A.
Donnell, formerly district attorney of Los Angeles county and
one-time state's attorney of seven counties in Iowa. They will
tell of how they met Calvin Hartwell, coroner of Los Angeles
county; Josiah Utterbach of Pasadena, formerly a bander at
Sigourney, Ia.; Will Beatty, who conducted a photographer's
shop in the same city; Frank D. McDowell, formerly mayor of
Clinton, Ia., who is a double to the late President Cleveland;
J.F. Clements, a Clinton retired chair manufacturer; Edward
Hopkins, assessor of Los Angeles county; Don Orril, who is
holder of the second place in the Yuma land allotment line;
Mayor George Alexander of Los Angeles; former State Senator
W.W. Dodge; Attorney John Beardsley; Rev. C.A. Stilson; T.F.
Cooke and others as prominent.
Mingling with these were
Attorney John Lafferty of Oskaloosa; E. Laffer, a Sigourney
banker; Simon Shoecraft, a Clinton fuel dealer; B.D. Howes, a
jeweler from Clinton; Iowa State Senator D.O. Harrison of
Humboldt.
The picnic was a half-day affair and was
organized into a reunion after the lunch. Stephen Townsend,
the retiring president, was chairman. He introduced in
succession Dr. R.S. Walker, Rev. Matt Hughes, former
Congressman Daniel Kerr, S.W. Dodge, D.O. Harrison, Dr. Levi
D. Johnson and Mayor Alexander as the speakers.
"Home
Sweet Home," sang by W.L. Jones of Pasadena, carried memories
and hearts back to Iowa.
Former Senator Dodge, who came
from Burlington, Ia., said: "The call of civic duty and state
pride demand of each of us, as former Iowans, to give our
loyal support to ever measure, plan and means that has for its
ultimate end the moral, intellectual and material advancement
of this great commonwealth of California."
Former
Congressman Daniel Kerr spoke in remembrance of the late Hon.
Delos Arnold, honorary president of the society. Dr. L.D.
Johnson spoke in a similar vein of the late Dr. C.J. Cooke.
Mayor Alexander gave utterance to the declaration that "Iowans
are the best citizens everywhere except in Los Angeles, where
all are equal."
The officers for the ensuing year will
be: Honorary president, Stephen H. Taft of Sawtelle;
president, Dr. Edward Henderson; vice president, P.S. Rishell;
secretary, C.H. Parsons and F.H. Nichols, treasurer. |
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